Variable-speed device.



No. 705,209. Patented my 22, |902.

w. E. cames.

VARIABLE SPEED uevlcE.

(Applieation lod No'. 94, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut I.

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No. 705,209. Patented .luly 22, |902.v W. E. CRANE.

VARIABLE SPEED DEViCE.

(Application led Nov. 24, 1900.)

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ATTORNEY.

liliviTnn STaTn's FaTnNT Ottica,

VALTER E, CRANE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

VARIABLE-SPEED DEVICE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,209, dated July 22,1902. Application lcd November 24, 1900. Serial No1 37,595. (No model-lTo al?, whom t may concern.- Be it known that I, WALTER E. CRANE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Denver, county of Arapahoe,and State of Colorado, (whose post-office address is No. 1661 Lincolnavenue,) have invented a new and useful Variable-Speed Device, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in variable-speed devices in whicha pulley,gear, or equivalent or shaft is given a variable speed withreference to the driving source of the device, the variations includingall possible speeds within the limits of the device and the speed ratebeing controllable at will by the attendant. As the device is used forthe transmission of power or motion, it may be appropriately termed avariable-m otiontransmission device or a variable-speedpower-transmitter. y

The objects of my present invention are, rst, to provide a means ofimparting motion from a source of power to any desired machine atexactly the rate of speed desired and suitable for the work to beperformed and to snit the variations in the work or the varyingconditions affecting the same; second, to pro vide a device which shallmake it possible to secure very slight changes andrany possible speedWithin the :range covered by the device; third, to provide a convenientmeans of either speeding up from the driving source to the machine to beoperated or of reducing from the driving source to the machine; fourth,to provide a very compact form of speed-chang ing device which canreadily be placed in a very limited space directly upon the machine tobe operated or upon the ceiling above, the wall, or the floor, asdesired, and, fifth, to provide a variable-speed device which shall beeasily operable in adjustment by simply one control movement and itsreverse and while the device is running at full speed and under a load.I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional Viewof the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical trans Verse sectional View of thesame, upon a slightly-reduced scale, upon line X X of Fig. l andlooking' to the left therein. Fig. 3 is an exterior or top view of oneof the frictionwheels and the carrier for the same, and Fig.

a is .a top View of the controlling-slide. In Fig. 2 one of thefriction-wheels and its carrier are omitted to more clearly show theopening in which they are inserted, and the two friction-wheels shownare represented in their central position of adjustment or withtheir-axes at right angles with the central shaft of the device. Fig. 2is on line Z Z of Fig. 4C.

This variablespeed device consists, essentially, of four principalelements, as follows: first, the stationary or noinrevoluble parts,consisting of the support or hanger-bearing, the retarding device, andin some cases the central shaft; second, the variation-wheel, includingthe transmission-wheels mounted in the same; third, the speed wheel orpulley, and,fourth,the adjusting device for the transmission-wheelcarriers.

The motive power may be applied to the variation-wheel either at itsperiphery or by means of securing the wheel Ato the central shaft as adrive-shaft, and the power or motion will then be delivered by the speedwheel or pulley to the machine it is desired to drive. This will be themanner of operation when it is desired to increase the speed above themotive source. In case of desiring to reduce the speed below that of themotive source, then the power or motion will be applied to thespeed-wheel to drive the device and will be delivered from thevariation-wheel to the machine to be driven. The device is repre sentedin the preferred form with the-shaft S stationary, being secured in thehangerbearing by the set-screw shown. If, however, it is desired that itbe the drive-shaft or the driven shaft, it may readily be secured eitherin the variation-wheel or in the speedwheel by means of the set-screwsshown, in which case it may be desirable to provide a ball-bearing atthe outer end ofthe hangen bearing, as well as to extend the shaft. Itwill, however, generally be deemed preferable to transmit the power tothe rim of one of the wheels, as bya belt, gearing, or chain, and todeliver the power from the other Wheel-rim in like manner and to leavethe shaft fixed in the hanger-bearing. The central shaft S of the deviceis mounted either revolubly or fixedly in the hangcr-bearingll,

IOO

which is preferably the support for the entire device and is Xedlysecured to the building or to the machine to be operated in the usualmanner for hanger-bearings. Mounted ixedly upon the side of thehanger-bearing and concentric with shaft S is the retarding-disk A,which is secured to the hanger in any desired manner, as by a series ofscrews A3, and the disk is preferably held in a central position bymeans of a shoulder A2, as shown. The face opposite to the hanger isformed into an annular concave surface A', for a purpose to behereinafter described.

Mounted preferably loosely upon the shaft S, slightly remote from disk Aand revoluble in a plane parallel with the said disk, is thevariation-wheel B, Which terminates, preferably, in the pulley-rim, asshown. The Wheel B is formed with a series of openings, preferably threein number, through the web portion and designated by B', and the sideportions of these openings are beveled away, as at B2 and as shown bydotted lines in Fig. l. When desired, the Wheel B may be secured to theshaft S by means of the set-screw Inserted in the openings B' and inguiding contact with the longitudinal surfaces B4, B5,

` B, and B7 thereof are the oscillatable carriers F, with caps F2. The'segment portion F of the carrier has formed preferably integral with itthe cylindrical bearing portion I and cylindrical extension of the sameF', to which is fixedly secured the segmentary cap F2 by means of thepin F2, and revolubly mounted upon bearing Lbetween F and F2, is thetransmission-wheel E, which is preferably composed of layers of frictionmaterial-as, for instance,leather-Whichispreferablysecured between afiange extension O of the hub p0rtion N and a mating flange l?, securedin the usual manner together. The segment poriion F of the carrier has acentral radial rib, which is cut into a segmentary gear G, and insertedin the innermost or groove portion of the openings B'arelongitudinally-slidable racks J, each of which engages with yasegment-gear G. The series of slidable racks .l arexedly secured to anannular controllingring R, as by a tenon of the rack passing through ahole in the ring and being riveted therein. The controlling-ring R hasan interior annular projection or iiange R', which is in revolubleengagement with a controllingslide K, having a groove K2, which inclosesthe projection R'. The controlling-slide is mounted for longitudinalmovement in the slot H' of the hanger H and is preferably operated witha lever L, projecting into the opening K', the said lever swinging inthe slot H2 and being ixedly secured upon the controlling-shaft M, whichis provided With such connections (not shown) as may be desired to bei'n position for the operator to take hold of. If preferred, thecontrolling-slide K may be extended and manipulated direct by theattendant Without the lever L and shaft M.

The speed-Wheel C is mounted upon the shaft S in proximity to.A thevariation-Wheel B for rotation in parallel plane therewith and ispreferably provided with a ball-bearing in engagement with theadjustable thrust-collar T upon the threaded portion U of the shaft S.The speed-wheel C is also provided With an annular concave surface C',similar to and opposing the concave surface A', the centers of thecurves of the `said surfaces being coincident and also coincident withthe mounting and oscillation of the carriers F and transmission-Wheels Ein the variation-Wheel B. The transmission wheels E, of which there isone for each of the openings B', are of sufficient diameter to be indriving engagement with the annular concave surfaces A' and C' at theopposite sides of the said transmission-Wheels, and this drivingengagement,

which is preferably frictional, is maintained by the adjustment of thethrust-collar T upon the shaft S, the said shaft being secured in thehanger-bearing by means of the set-screw H3, as stated. In case of theshaft S being secured in the speed-Wheel C by means of the set-screw C2the shaft S may be reversed, th us bringing the thrust-collar T intoengagement with theouter end of the hanger-bearing H.

The hanger H is secured to some fixed object. A drive-belt is placedupon the variation-wheel B, which, with the speed-wheel C, is loose andrevoluble upon the shaft S,Which is fixed in the hanger H. A belt isplaced upon the speed-Wheel C and upon a pulley on the machine to beoperated. The revolving of the Wheel B with its series oftransmission-wheels E in engagement at one side with the annularfriction-surface A' of the stationary retarding-disk A Will cause theopposite sides of the said transmission-Wheels E to travel at a velocitycorresponding to the circumference of the central point of contact ofthe said Wheels with friction-surface A' plus one revolution of theWheel B, and the engagement of the said transmission-Wheels at theiropposite sides with the annular friction-surface C' of the wheel C willrevolve the same at a correspondingly greater speed. As represented, theproportional distances from the axis of revolution are tWo for thecenter of contact of the wheels E with friction-surface A', three forthe center of oscillation of the Wheels E in the Wheel B, and four forthe center of contact of the Wheels E with the friction-surface C',which gives one and one-half revolutions of Wheel C to each revolutionof wheel B. lf the wheel B were given one revolution with the Wheels Ein engagement with the wheel C, as shown, but With the Wheels E out ofengagement With surface A' and non-revoluble in the Wheel B, the Wheel Cwould then be driven one revolution; but with the Wheels E revoluble inthe Wheel B and in engagement With a circumference on A' equal toone-half the operative circumference on C' the Wheel C IOS llO

will be accelerated one-half and will consequently be given one andone-half revolutions to one revolution of the wheel B. lVith thetransmission-wheels Il placed in their midway position of oscillation,as represented in Fig. 2, the wheel C will be driven at the rate of tworevolutions to one revolution of the drive-wheel B. lith the wheels Eadjusted to their opposite position of oscillation, as represented bythe dotted lines in Fig. l, the wheel C will then be driven at threerevolutions to one revolution of the drive-wheel B. It will thus beobserved that the device constructed with the proportions shown has acapacity of multiplying the drive speed one and one-half times to threetimes, or a variation of two to one. Different degrees of variationcapacity may be obtained, however, by changing the relative distancesfrom the axes ofrevolut-ion in constructing the deviceas, for instance,by making the respective operative distances in proportion of one, two,and three instead of two, three, and four, as above stated. It will benoted that any intermediate speed between the extremes stated may beobtained by adjusting the wheels E to a suitable position ofoscillation. In case of the speed-wheel C being the driven wheel and thewheel B the` driving-wheel or wheel from which force is delivered theoperation of the transmission-wheels will be the same, except that theiroperation will effect arreduction of speed instead of a multiplication,and the rate of speed of the driven wheel C will be divided by from oneand one-half to three for rate of wheel B, according to the position ofadjustment of the transmissionwheels.

From the above we deduce the following: If the device is driven by meansof a belt, for instance, upon the wheel B, causing the same to revolveat the rate of one hundred revolutions per minute, the speed-wheel Cwould revolve at any desired speed from one hundred and fifty to threehundred revolutions per minute and as a driving-wheel. If thespeed-wheel C is driven, as by a belt, at a speed of one hundredrevolutions per minute,

the wheel B will then revolve at any desired speed from sixty-six andtwothirds revolutions per minute to thirty-three and one-thirdrevolutions per minute and as a driving-wheel to impart motion to themachine to be operated. By a change in the relative diameters of thespeed-wheel and the variation-wheel it will be possible to get otherproportions of the driving speed as a resultant of the device.Forinstance,if the variation-wheel terminates in a 'pulley twelve inchesin diameter and the speed-wheel is but eight inches in diameter, thenthe device will be capable of delivering power, by interchan ging thedrive and driven belts, ata belt speed of from one-half to twice thebelt speed of the belt with which the device is driven and will give allpossible intermediate speeds. Likewise either or both the wheels B and Cmay have two sizes of pulleys,

Aof the pulleys.

2. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a supportfor the device, embodying a fixed supporting-shaft and a concentriciixed retarding-disk, of two adjacent pulleys revoluble on said shaft,and variably revoluble with reference to each other, from connectiveengagement with said retardingdisk.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a supportfor the device, em-

bodying a fixed supporting-shaft and a concentric fixed retarding-disk,of a speed-wheel embodying a pulley, revolubly mounted on said shaft;and an intermediate variationwheel embodying a pulley, and variablyengaging said speed-wheel and retarding-disk, to give variable relativevelocities to said pulleys.

. 4. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a supportfor the device, embodying a fixed supporting-shaft and a concentriciixed retarding-disk, ofa speed-pulley and a multiplying-pulleyrevoluble on said shaft and engaging said retarding-disk, to givemultiplied speeds of said speed-pulley relative to saidmultiplying-pulley as a driving member, or divided speeds of saidmultiplying-pulley relative to said speed-pulley as a driving member. l

5. In a device of the class specified, the combination with two adjacentpulley members and a supporting member, of a retardingdisk iixed to saidsupporting member; a central shaft lixed in one of said members andrevoluble in the other said members; and means substantially asdescribed, for varying the relative rotative speeds of the said pul-`ley members.

G. In a device of the class speciiied, the combination with a supportfor the device, embodying a supporting-shaft and a concentric fixedretarding-disk, of a speed-wheel ICO IIO

pulley revoluble about the axis of said shaft; l

an intermediate multiplying-wheel embodying adrive-pulley revoluble onsaid shaft; and a series of adjustable transmissionwheels carried bysaid multiplying-wheel, in engagement with opposing concave annularfriction-surfaces on said retarding-disk and speed-Wheel, togive amultiplied speed to said speed-wheel.

7. In a device of the class specified, the combination, with a centralshaft, of a stationary :retarding means concentric with, and in a planeat right angles to the said shaft; a

speed-wheel rotatably mounted upon the shaft at some distance from, andparallel with the said retarding means; and an intermediate member,rotatably mountedv upon the said shaft, and carrying a series ofadjustable transmission-wheels in operative engagement with the saidretarding means and' with the said speed-wheel.

8. In a device of the class speciiied, the combination with a rotatablespeed means provided with an annular concave contactsurface, of aretarding means embodying an opposing similar contact-surface; a powermeans embodying a pulley and a series of oscillatable carriers havingsegment-sustaining surfaces; transmission-wheels revolubly mounted insaid carriers intermediate said segment-surfaces; a fixed support forthe device; and means on said support connected with said carriers tooscillate them in said power means.

9. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a supportfor the device, having a fixed protruding central shaft, ot' aretarding-disk secured to said support and having a concave annularcontact-surface; a drive and a delivery wheel rotatably mountedconcentric with said shaft, one of said wheels having an opposingconcave annular contact-surface similar to, and with its center ofcurvaturecoincident with that of the concave surface of saidretarding-disk; a series of oscillatable carriers mounted in the otherof said wheels; and a like series of transmission-Wheels revolublymounted in said carriers, in position and adapted to engage at theiropposite sides with different p0rtions-oi2` said opposing concavesurfaces.

l0. In a device of the class specified, the combination with arevolubly-mounted drivewheel and driven wheel, of a retarding-disk; aseries of oscillatable carriers, mounted in and revoluble with4 one ofthe said Wheels; transmission-Wheels revolubly mounted in the saidcarriers, and engaging at their opposite sides with suitablecontact-surfaces upon the other of said wheels and said retarding-disk;a series of slidable racks in op- 'erative engagement With the saidoscillatable carriers; an annular controlling-ring secured to the saidracks; and a controlling-slide in engagement with said ring.

ll. In a device of the class specified, the combination, with abodily-rotatable series of oscillatably-mounted transmission-Wheels, ofsimilar, opposing, concave surfaces in engagement with the oppositesides of said oscillatable transmission-wheels; aslidable,an nular ringhaving longitudinal projections in operative engagement with thecarriers of said oscillatable transmission-wheels; a lon- 'gitudinalslide in operative engagement with said ring; and means in engagementwith said slide for moving the same longitudinally, to oscillate thesaid transmission-Wheels and bring their opposite sides into engagementWith different diameters of the respective engaging surfaces.

l2. In a device of the class specified, the combination with adrive-wheel and an adjacent driven wheel mounted for rotation about anaxis common to both of said wheels, of a retarding-disk having anannular concave surface, a section of which has a common center or foci,with a similar surface on one ot' said wheels; a series of oscillatablecarriers mounted in the other of said wheels, and rotatable therewith,the center of oscillation of the said carriers being coincident with thesaid foci; an annular controllingring having connections to the saidoscillatable carriers; means in connection with said controlling-ringand with a controlling-shaft and lever, for the oscillation of the saidcarriers; and a series of transmission -wheels revolubly mounted in thesaid carriers, and engaging with different portions of the said concavesurfaces as the carriers are oscillated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand and seal, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7 th day of November, A. D.1900.

WALTER E. CRANE. [1.. s] Witnesses;

WM. BOND, ARLINE MARSH.

